Toy puzzle



April 1937- F. w. THOMAS 2,077,372

TOY PUZZLE Original Filed April 12, 1953 avvuewtoz Whine/Jo I W10 M I I SHOW m 0.

Patented Apr. 13, 1937 UNITED STATES PAYNE TOY PUZZLE Substitute of application Serial No. 665,803, April 5 Claims.

The invention relates to toy puzzles of the general type in which the device is moved in various directions by hand to cause travel of a ball to a desired goal, and it aims to provide a very amus- 8 ing and entertaining device of this character representing the taking of a mountain fort by bombardment from a mountain summit spaced therefrom.

This case is a substitute for application No.

10 665,803, filed Apr. 12, 1933, and later forfeited and abandoned.

With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafter described and claimed. description being accom- 15 plished by reference to the accompanying draw- Fig. 1 is a perspective view.

Fig. 2 is a vertical sectional view through the fort showing one means for raising the flag of go truce.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but showing a different flag-raising means.

In the drawing above briefly described, the numeral 5 denotes an appropriate base upon which is mounted a mountainous region, in similitude, and a mountain fort 6, said fort being provided with an open-top tower 1. One side of the fort is provided with an entrance 8 and under said entrance with a ramp or ledge 9 which preferably declines away from the fort.

Opposite the fort 6, is a mountain summit ill upon which a cannon II is mounted, said cannon being directed toward the fort entrance 8 so that a ball may be gravity-projected through said cannon into said entrance, if truly aimed. Otherwise, the ball will strike and roll from the ledge or ramp 9, into the valley 12 between the summit i l and the fort 6. Immediately behind the cannon l i is a level plateau l3, and a winding mountain road I! leads to said plateau, said road being provided with a ball-guiding groove I5. While the road M possesses a general inclination to the summit I 0, it may have somewhat declined portions it which will cause the ball I! to sud 7 denly accelerate during its rolling along the channel l5, making the game more diflicult and amusing. The ball I! may roll from the plateau l3 directly through the cannon H if properly directed by slight movement of the entire toy, but otherwise it will roll down declinations l8 on the summit I ll into the valley I2. If the player succeeds in entering the ball I! into the cannon II, it may roll by gravity through this cannon and will therefore be projected toward the fort entrance 8. If truly directed, it will enter This application May 15, 1936, Serial the fort through the entrance, but otherwise it will strike part of the fort, the ramp or ledge 9, or will simply fall into the valley !2.

The base 5 is preferably somewhat elongated, the fort i5 is at one end of said base, the summit II] at the other end thereof, the winding mountain road It along one side of the base, and a narrow mountain range [9 along the other side thereof from the fort to the mountain. The valley I2 is thus enclosed to confine the ball H, but I provide a continuous runway 26 around the mountains, road and fort, at the base of the toy, to receive the ball if it should fall outwardly instead of inwardly into the valley. From the runway Zil, a vertical runway 2! extends up the outer side of the narrow mountain i9 and by properly manipulating the toy, the ball may be returned through this runway 25 into the valley !2.

A transparent dome 22 is secured to the base 5 and covers the mountains, fort, etc.'

Within the tower I, is a normally lowered flag of truce 23 whose flag staff is denoted at 24. The lower end of this staff is either pivoted at 25 to a lever 26 mounted in the lower portion of the fort ii (Fig. 3), or is integral with said lever as shown in Fig. 2. On the end of the lever remote from the flag staff, is a shallow spoon 21 which is disposed under the fort entrance 8 to receive the ball when it enters the fort. Reception of the ball in the spoon 27, moves the lever 26 to project the flag of truce 23 from the top of the tower 1. The ball rolls from the spoon 21 and rolls out of the fort through an opening 28, in readiness for further play.

It will be seen from the foregoing that a novel, inexpensive and entertaining toy puzzle has been provided, which will effectively represent taking of a mountain fort by bombardment from a remote mountain, and whenever the fort is taken by so manipulating the toy as to efifect projection of the ball I! through the cannon ll into the fort entrance 8, the flag of truce 23 will be immediately hoisted.

The invention is not concerned with materials, proportions, or scenic effects, nor with expedients used in manufacture. Wide leeway, therefore, exists in such regard.

I claim:

1. A toy puzzle comprising, in similitude, a mountain fort having an entrance, a mountain summit spaced from said fort, a cannon on said summit directed toward said entrance to allow a ball to be gravity-projected through said cannon into said entrance, and a ball-guiding mountain road leading to said summit and substantially to said cannon.

2. A toy puzzle comprising, in similitude, a mountain fort having an entrance, said fort also having a ledge under said entrance from which a ball may drop or from which it may enter said entrance, a mountain summit spaced from said fort, a cannon on said summit through which a ball may be gravity-projected onto said ledge or into said entrance, and a ball-guiding mountain road leading to said summit and substantially to said cannon,

3. A toy puzzle comprising, in similitude, a mountain fort having an entrance, a mountain summit spaced from said fort, a cannon on said summit through which a ball may be gravityprojected into said entrance, a plateau on said summit upon which the ball may roll into said cannon, and a ball-guiding mountain road leading to said plateau.

4. A toy puzzle comprising, in similitude, a

mountain fort having an entrance, said fort also having a ledge under said entrance from which a ball may drop or from which it may enter said entrance, a mountain summit spaced from said fort, a cannon on said summit through which a ball may be gravity-projected onto said ledge or into said entrance, a plateau on said summit upon which the ball may roll into said cannon, and a ball-guiding mountain road leading to said plateau.

5. In a toy puzzle, a. fort in similitude, having an open-top tower, said fort having a ball entrance in one side, and a ball exit below said entrance, a lever fulcrumed in said fort and having a depressible ball-receiving member on one end below said entrance, a normally lowered flag of truce in said tower, and a flag staff carrying said flag and operatively connected at its lower end with said lever for raising the flag when said depressible member is depressed.

FRANK W. THOMAS. 

